West London School District

The School District Board first met on 2nd April 1868, and on 9th October that year accepted the plans of HH Collins for a school for 800 children. The school was built in 1869-72 at the west side of District Road, now Woodthorpe Road, at Ashford near Staines.

A boiler-house, laundry and farm lay at the south of the school, and an infirmary to the south-west.

Ashford School main building from the north, 1931.

In 1930, the site was taken over by the London County Council. The school was finally closed in 1955. The buildings have all been demolished and there is now modern housing on the eastern part of the site. The remainder is occupied by HM Prison Bronzefield, a purpose-built and privately-run women's prison opened in 2004.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals.

Minutes, agendas, reports etc of Board of Management and various committes; Annual reports; Financial accounts; Correspondence with central authorities; Admission and discharge registers; Registers of apprenticeships; Returns and statistics of children in care; Timetables and syllabuses; Dietary tables; Medical Officer's reports; Issues of school magazine; Staff records; Building plans of Ashford School and Park School; Photographs.

Hammersmith Guardians: Children in the West London School District (1870-1931)

Westminster Guardians: Ashford School register of children (1872-1912)